SCAVAGE, skav'[=a]j, _n._ a duty or toll anciently exacted by mayors, &c.,
on goods exposed for sale.
SCAVENGER, skav'en-j[.e]r, _n._ one who cleans the streets: an animal which
feeds on carrion: a child employed to pick up loose cotton from the floor
in a cotton-mill.--_ns._ SCAV'AGERY, street-cleansing; SCAV'AGING.--_v.t._
SCAV'ENGE, to cleanse.--_ns._ SCAV'ENGER-BEE'TLE, a beetle which acts as a
scavenger; SCAV'ENGER-CRAB, any crab which feeds on decaying animal matter;
SCAV'ENGERING; SCAV'ENGERISM; SCAV'ENGERY.--SCAVENGER'S DAUGHTER, an
instrument of torture by pressure with an iron hoop, invented by Sir W.
Skevington, Lieutenant of the Tower under Henry VIII. [Orig. _scavager_, an
inspector of goods for sale, and also of the streets; from _scavage_, duty
on goods for sale--A.S. _sceawian_, to inspect; cf. _Show_.]
SCAVERNICK, skav'[.e]r-nik, _n._ (_Cornish_) a hare.
SCAVILONES, skav'i-l[=o]nz, _n.pl._ men's drawers worn in the sixteenth
century under the hose.
SCAZON, sk[=a]'zon, _n._ in ancient prosody, a metre, the rhythm of which
is imperfect toward the close of the line or period. [Gr. _skaz[=o]n_,
limping.]
SCELERATE, sel'e-r[=a]t, _adj._ (_obs._) wicked, villainous.--_n._ a
villain--also SCEL'ERAT.--_adjs._ SCEL'EROUS, SCELES'TIC. [O. Fr.--L.
_sceleratus_--_scelus_, crime.]
SCELIDES, sel'i-d[=e]z, _n.pl._ the posterior limbs of a mammal.--_n._
SCEL'IDOSAUR, a dinosaur of the genus Scelidosaurus.--_adjs._
SCELIDOSAU'RIAN; SCELIDOSAU'ROID.--_n.pl._ SCELIDOSAU'RIDÆ, a family of
mailed dinosaurs.--_ns._ SCELIDOSAU'RUS, the typical genus of
Scelidosauridæ; SCELIO (s[=e]'li-[=o]), a genus of hymenopterous insects
parasitic in the eggs of grasshoppers and locusts; SCELOP'ORUS (_U.S._),
the common brown fence-lizard. [Gr. _skelis_, _skelidos_, a leg.]
SCELP, skelp, _n._ long strips of iron used in forming a gun-barrel.--Also
SKELP.
SCENA, s[=e]'na, _n._ the stage of an ancient theatre (_pl._ SCENÆ,
s[=e]'n[=e]): an elaborate dramatic solo (It., pron. sh[=a]'nä; pl.
SCE'NE).--_n._ SCENARIO (she-nä'ri-[=o]), a skeleton libretto of a dramatic
work. [L.]
SCEND, send, _n._ the upward angular displacement of a vessel--opposed to
_Pitch_, the correlative downward movement.--_v.i._ to heave upward. [A
corr. of _send_, influenced by _ascend_.]
SCENE, s[=e]n, _n._ a picture of the place of an action: a large painted
view: place of action, occurrence, or exhibition: the part of a play acted
without change of place: (_orig._) the stage of a theatre on which the
actors perform: a series of landscape events connected and exhibited: a
number of objects presented to the view at once: spectacle: view: any
unseemly or ill-timed display of strong feeling between persons.--_v.t._ to
exhibit: to display.--_ns._ SCENE'-DOCK, the space in a theatre adjoining
the stage, where scenery is stored when not in use; SCENE'-MAN, one who
manages the scenery in a theatre; SCENE'-PAINT'ER, one whose employment it
is to paint scenery for theatres; SC[=E]'NERY, the painted representation
on a stage: the appearance of anything presented to the eye: general aspect
of a landscape; SCENE'-SHIFT'ER (same as SCENE-MAN).--_adjs._ SC[=E]'NIC,
-AL, pertaining to scenery: dramatic: theatrical.--_adv._
SC[=E]'NICALLY.--_adjs._ SC[=E]NOGRAPH'IC, -AL, drawn in
perspective.--_adv._ SC[=E]NOGRAPH'ICALLY.--_n._ SC[=E]NOG'RAPHY, the art
of perspective: representation in perspective.--BEHIND THE SCENES, at the
back of the visible stage; MAKE A SCENE, to make a noisy or otherwise
unwelcome exhibition of feeling. [L. _scena_--Gr. _sk[=e]n[=e]_, a covered
place, a stage.]
SCENT, sent, _v.t._ to discern by the sense of smell: to perfume: to have
some suspicion of.--_v.i._ to become odoriferous: to smell.--_n._ a
perfume: odour: sense of smell: chase followed by the scent: course of
pursuit: scraps of paper strewed on the ground by the pursued in the boys'
game of hare and hounds.--_ns._ SCENT'-BAG, the pouch of an animal which
secretes an odoriferous substance; SCENT'-BOTT'LE, a small bottle for
holding perfume; SCENT'-BOX.--_adjs._ SCENT'ED, perfumed; SCENT'FUL, highly
odoriferous: quick of scent: having a good nose, as a dog.--_n._
SCENT'-GLAND, a glandular organ which secretes such substances as musk or
castoreum.--_adv._ SCENT'INGLY, allusively: not directly.--_adj._
SCENT'LESS, having no scent or smell: destructive of scent.--_ns._
SCENT'-OR'GAN, a scent-gland; SCENT'-VASE, a vessel with a pierced cover
designed to contain perfumes. [Fr. _sentir_--L. _sent[=i]re_, to feel.]
SCEPTIC, -AL, SKEPTIC, -AL, skep'tik, -al, _adj._ pertaining to the
philosophical school in ancient Greece of Pyrrho and his successors:
doubting: hesitating to admit the certainty of doctrines or principles:
(_theol._) doubting or denying the truth of revelation.--_ns._ SCEP'SIS,
SKEP'SIS, philosophic doubt; SCEP'TIC, one who is sceptical: (_theol._) one
who doubts or denies the existence of God or the truths of
revelation.--_adv._ SCEP'TICALLY.--_n._ SCEP'TICALNESS.--_v.i._
SCEP'TICISE, to act the sceptic.--_n._ SCEP'TICISM, that condition in which
the mind is before it has arrived at conclusive opinions: doubt: the
doctrine that no facts can be certainly known: agnosticism: (_theol._)
doubt of the existence of God or the truth of revelation. [L.
_scepticus_--Gr. _skeptikos_, thoughtful, _skeptesthai_, to consider.]
SCEPTRE, sep't[.e]r, _n._ the staff or baton borne by kings as an emblem of
authority: royal power.--_v.t._ to invest with royal power.--_adjs._
SCEP'TRAL, regal; SCEP'TRED, bearing a sceptre: regal.--_n._ SCEP'TREDOM,
reign.--_adjs._ SCEP'TRELESS, powerless, as a sceptreless king; SCEP'TRY,
bearing a sceptre, royal. [L. _sceptrum_--Gr. _sk[=e]ptron_--_sk[=e]ptein_,
to lean.]